Caring for ivory?

Chiro75

Chiro75

Joined
Feb 4, 1999
Messages
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I obtained a gorgeous Mikkel Willumsen friction folder on another forum recently (need it like a hole in my head, but I bought it for about 1/3 of what he would charge for the knife, so I couldn't pass it up!) and it is quite a piece of work... Thick titanium frame and the "non-lock" (since it has no lock) side has a Timascus rear bolster and ivory scales. I generally don't go for ivory knives, for a variety of reasons, but like I said, I couldn't pass this up.

ANYWAY, what is the best way to take care of the ivory? I don't see myself carrying this one often (ever), but even as a safe queen, do I need to oil it or do anything to protect it? I asked the maker and he didn't have any suggestions. Thanks!
 
The worst thing for ivory, is very low humidity. Winter time with the central heat cranking will cause shrinking and cracking. If the ivory was good a dry when the maker used it, you shouldn't have any problem. With all that said, a little oil can't hurt and will likely help, it can darken the ivory though but I like the look of oiled ivory.
 
Thanks, Don. Maybe a weird question, but would storing this knife in my humidor be good? I keep it around 65-70% humidity in there. The knife is titanium, Timascus, ivory, presumably stainless steel hardware, and has a 154CM bead blasted blade (which is what I would worry about in the humidor, even though it's stainless).

If I do just oil it, is there a preferred kind of oil?
 
Use a food grade mineral oil or lemon oil (Formby's Penetrating Lemon Oil is good - works great for bone and stag too). Do NOT use any sort of vegetable oil - they will all eventually turn rancid. Just rub a little on with a finger at first (don't dunk or soak it) - let it sit and see how thirsty the ivory is -- if the oil disappears after a few hours, give it a little more. Dunno about a humidor - may be too much of a good thing.
 
What Zero said. I use mineral oil. I wouldn't store in the humidor.

A friend of mine was storing hundreds of custom knives in a gun safe with dehumidifier, lots of ivory shrinkage, lots! He was kiln drying his knives:eek:
 
hi

i know that collectors try to keep it out of sun light... that is antique ivory dags and swords ...

Greg
 
Mineral or other oils won't do much for ivory, as the ivory will not absorb them.
Just use a good coat of paste wax.
 
A man that works ivory every day told me that mineral oil is a waste of time as the ivory gave up water when drying.....not oil. He said it will not be absorbed properly. Just keep it from drying out too much by whatever means...plastic bag.etc. Do not keep near ductwork, sunlight, etc.
 
Don Hanson III said:
....A friend of mine was storing hundreds of custom knives in a gun safe with dehumidifier, lots of ivory shrinkage, lots! He was kiln drying his knives:eek:
Click to expand...

Wow, good info. Here's a pre-knife ivory question.

How should materials like ivory, stag and oosik be stored prior to using them in construction? I've been storing my wood and stag in a small "garage" closet, but consistently get 40-50% readings in it on a little thermometer/humidity meter. I will soon be putting a little gun cabinet heater rod as well as a small dehumidifier in it. I keep the few pieces of ivory and oosik I've got in a cedar box in an inside closet. What moisture content should they be brought down to prior to usage and how?

Thanks for any suggestions, Phil
 
Hi all, You all have raised questions that I struggle with every day. Average indoor humidity levels here in Fairbanks hover around 8%. I have gotten the best results if I rough cut scales to size and allow them to dry slowly till they reach that moisture content, vacuum stabilize them, assemble the knife and let it cure again for a month or more before the final polish, step back a couple of grits, sand again and polish. I sometimes vacuum stabilize again after the knife is assembled, with the handle in a vessel, blade sticking up. It seems to me that fossil walrus ivory is the most stabil, then mammoth and then elephant. I give the knives a coat of paste wax and ask my customers to do the same. I have not gotten many knives back (less than one%). occasionally when I get one back, I stabilize it again, sand it to level everything off and polish it. I try to turn it around right away so that it will not get acclimated back to my environment. I recently had a problem with a knife I sent to an area with very high humidity, it was a sheep horn handle. I sent the knife in a zip lock bag and when the fellow opened the bag it cracked within a half hour. This was the first time I had used a sealed bag, I suspect that if I had shipped the knife like I usually do, without the bag, the knife would have had the chance to acclimate gradually to the change in humidity instead of the way it did. Many collectors swear by mineral oil, I do not use it. I have bought ivory dipped in many things, wax, cooking oil, mineral oil and motor oil. These things make it hard to get the ivory to stick to anything. The people up here that have been around ivory say not to use oil on it. Not sure if any of this helps, glad to answer questions if I can. Mark
 
Farmer Phil said:
Wow, good info. Here's a pre-knife ivory question.

How should materials like ivory, stag and oosik be stored prior to using them in construction? I've been storing my wood and stag in a small "garage" closet, but consistently get 40-50% readings in it on a little thermometer/humidity meter. I will soon be putting a little gun cabinet heater rod as well as a small dehumidifier in it. I keep the few pieces of ivory and oosik I've got in a cedar box in an inside closet. What moisture content should they be brought down to prior to usage and how?

Thanks for any suggestions, Phil
Click to expand...

Phil, I forgot to mention the guy I was talkin about also had a couple of the heat rods in the safe. This is probably good for handle material but not finished knives.

I can kiln dry wood here to 6 %, pull it out and in a couple days it's the same as the wood on the walls inside my shop, 10-20%. If you build a knife in HI and ship it to AZ, it's goin to shrink.

Best thing I've done to prevent shrinking a cracking of ivory, is store it in my shop for at least one year before I use it. (no mater how old it is or where it came from). Two years or more is even better. Shop has AC in summer and wood heat in winter.
 
If storing it is that much of a PITA then letting it ride around in my pants pocket must raise hell with it then, huh? Can you carry ivory even a little and not destroy it?
 
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